


Priceless

by thebobbyfish (rice_chrishpies)



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Light Angst, Unrequited Love, player!Bobby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:48:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26038189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rice_chrishpies/pseuds/thebobbyfish
Summary: It’s the Love Island Finale, and Bobby and Rose finally made it. They’ve been together the whole time. Now all they had to do was win. Right?Unless things weren’t exactly what Rose thought.
Relationships: Bobby McKenzie/Main Character (Love Island)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 44





	1. Rose-colored Glasses

Rose studied her reflection in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Lottie did her makeup a few hours ago, but sweat from the humid Majorcan weather and the thick tension in the air made it smudge. She did what she could to salvage it, then straightened her long, skin-tight dress once more. 

When she joined the others gathered in the kitchen, she immediately scanned the room for him. Her mouth immediately formed a smile when she saw him. It was a reflex at this point. Bobby was sitting atop one of the kitchen stools, leaning towards his little audience—Lottie and Gary—as he recounted one of his ridiculous stories at the hospital kitchen. 

Rose walked over to him and put her arm around his waist as she usually did, and started to listen to the story she’d already heard countless times before. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His animated storytelling became spiritless. In one swift motion, he pecked her check and removed her arm from around him, letting her arms fall beside her. She shrugged off the pang of hurt that filled her chest.

He’d been acting like this all day. 

While they’d usually stay in bed and cuddle after waking up, he immediately showered and made himself busy somewhere in the Villa. While he’d usually bring her breakfast in bed when he _did_ get up, he barely made her a drink. While they’d usually sneak away to make out or even have a quickie, he barely gave her more than a moment of his attention. While his touches almost always lingered, his kisses were a second shorter than usual. While his gaze was seemingly transfixed on her, he barely glanced in her direction. 

Something wasn't right. 

Rose chalked it up to nerves. He’d only been acting like this today, so it had to be out of nerves, right? It was the Love Island Finale, after all. She was nervous too, she thought, more nervous about her future with her new boyfriend than about who was going to take the money home. 

She'd officially asked Bobby during their final date. She wanted to wait until after the show so that it could be more special, but she didn't want to wait anymore. She _couldn't_. She was so completely, irrevocably, and utterly in love with him that it ached to let time pass without having him. When he agreed, she squealed in glee and collapsed onto him, giggling at how stupid she was for thinking he might say no. 

Rose was ecstatic to have actually found love in the Villa. Even if they didn’t win the finale that night, she knew she won. 

\---

The Islanders received the telltale text message, instructing them to line up at the balcony for the reveal of the winners, so they did. 

The four couples arranged themselves accordingly: Chelsea and Henrik, Lottie and Gary, Hope and Noah, and Rose and Bobby. 

Though it took only a few moments, the host’s reveal seemed to take hours. As the seconds ticked by, Rose’s nerves seemed to wind tighter and tighter around her. She’d usually find comfort under the warmth of his touch, the gentle of his caress, but all of the tension between them seemed to keep them apart. 

Rose and Bobby barely said two words to each other all day, and so they remained silent among the whispers of their friends. Perhaps her actions would speak louder than words, Rose thought. She wrapped her arms around Bobby’s waist and squeezed, finding comfort in the smell of baked bread and hoping he'd find comfort in her. He stiffened. She let him go. 

The host revealed the fourth place winners: Lottie and Gary. Rose intertwined her fingers. She didn’t realize she was sweating until she felt a droplet slide out from between the palms of her hands. Bobby’s hands mirrored hers, but his thumb beat incessantly against the back of his hand.

Third place: Chelsea and Henrik. Rose’s hands tightened around each other and her fluttering stomach began to turn, while Bobby released his hands and clenched his fists by his sides.

“And the winners of Love Island are…” Rose gripped her hands harder, feeling the nails dig into her flesh. “Rose and Bobby!”

Rose shrieked and jumped onto Bobby, hugging him as tightly as she could, as if the dream would end and he’d disappear at any moment. He hesitated and then hugged her back, as quickly as an afterthought. He let her go. 

They walked out of the Villa together. Rose tried to reach for his hand, but he kept them hidden in his pockets. Unusual. She tried not to look bothered, aware of the millions of eyes watching her. She gave him a sad smile. The blinding camera flashes blurred her vision as they walked to the main stage. 

“So,” the host smiled widely at them as they sat down, “How does it feel to win Love Island?”

Rose looked at him and he quickly averted his gaze. Why was he still nervous? They won, didn't they?

“It feels amazing!” Rose said, “It feels so good to win, but honestly I don't even care. I won ages ago,” She grinned and looked at Bobby, whose gaze was fixated on the audience.

“And you, Bobby? How do you feel?”

Rose didn’t have to hear what he’d say. She knew. She knew they'd split the money and invest in their future together. He’d open a bakery, she’d open a recording studio, and they’d move into a nice little flat in London together. Once they’ve settled into their new lives, she knew that it wouldn’t be long before he proposed and they got married. She knew they’d have kids, one boy and one girl, maybe twins, and they’d move into a bigger house for their family to grow up and grow old in. She knew what her future with him looked like, and she couldn’t wait for it to begin.

“I’m buzzin’,” Bobby said, empty words not reaching his eyes. 

Rose didn’t notice his expression as she searched the crowd for familiar faces. She found her parents and her best friends, who looked up at her and waved eagerly. She found the islanders who’d been dumped earlier in the game. They gave her smiles and thumbs up, supporting her from afar. She found Priya, her best friend on the show, forcing a smile through furrowed brows, clearly bothered by something. She made a mental note to ask her what was going on afterwards.

“Alright,” the host said. “Let's look back at your Love Island Journey together, shall we?” She flashed a huge smile and motioned to the big screen. The footage started rolling. 

_The video zoomed in on Rose on the first day as she scrutinized the lineup of five guys in front of her. She chose Bobby, and he was elated to be chosen first._

_“Hey.”_

_The video cut to a shot of Rose in the beach hut. It was early days and she said she already liked him so much. There was something about him, she couldn't quite place a finger on, that made her feel safe, she said. She’d be loyal to him until he gave her a reason not to be. So far so good._

Rose remembered that interview as if it were yesterday, smiling fondly at the memory. She glanced at Bobby to gage his expression, but his eyes were trained on the video, never looking away. She shrugged it off and turned her attention back to the screen. 

_The video changed to a scene of the roof terrace. The camera panned to the daybed. White sheets hugged the forms of two bodies, their movements and obscene noises made it clear what was going on beneath the sheets._

Rose furrowed her brows, wondering why they were showing this scene, because she didn’t remember it happening to her, definitely not with Bobby. 

_The sheets rustled some more and the dreadlocks she knew all too well poked out from under the covers. For a split second, he moved his head aside, showing just a peek of long, dark red hair._

Rose’s stomach clenched at the sight. He cheated on her? With Priya? No. 

“No,” she laughed nervously, “This can’t be real.” She looked up at Bobby. “Can it?” She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. 

The video kept playing. As revolting as it was to watch, Rose couldn’t seem to peel her eyes away from the screen. The shocked chatter among the audience couldn’t drown out the nauseating sounds. His moans cut into her “perfect” vision of the future and pierced her heart. Within seconds, her bright, beautiful dreams of the future turned into a sheer, horrible nightmare. 

“W-Wasn’t this supposed to be a lip-synch battle?” Rose stammered. Warm tears brimmed her eyes as they threatened to fall with every blink. How could she be so stupid? 

Before he had the chance to answer—if he was even going to—the video changed again.

_The video cut to another beach hut interview with Rose, it was soon after Casa Amor. She said that the couple of days apart made her realize who she wanted to be with. Not just in the Villa, but for the rest of her life._

_“He's the one,” she smiled dreamily into the camera. “I know it.”_

“I can't believe I fell for it,” she said, her voice breaking along with her heart. She stared at the image of herself on the big screen in disbelief, wondering how she was so blissfully unaware of what was going on right under her nose. 

_The video zoomed in on Priya, who was packing her bags after being dumped from the island. Bobby walked into the dressing room, looking around for anyone listening. She bent over the shared vanity to pick up her fallen perfumes. He smirked at the sight and sat on one of the chairs._

_“You know I had to right?” He said. “I had to save Hope to keep Noah from Rose.”_

_Priya rolled her eyes and nodded. “Yeah. I know. Doesn’t mean I like it.”_

_“We had some fun though, didn’t we?” He smirked, crossing his arms behind his head._

_She stood up straight, placing a hand on her hip. “Just don’t forget your part of the plan.”_

Rose was taken aback. She turned to face Bobby. “The plan? What plan?”

“Nothing, darling.”

She scoffed and crossed her arms. “Don’t ‘darling’ me. You were sleeping with Priya behind my back the whole time, and you guys had a fucking plan? What _plan_ , Bobby?”

She rolled her eyes when the video interrupted their conversation. Again.

_The video cut to footage of Rose and Priya in the kitchen for the last time. Priya placed a little perfume bottle on the counter and slid it over to Rose. The bottle had a little sunflower on it._

_“Keep this. A gift from me.”_

Was it a parting gift, or a consolation prize?

Rose’s chest tightened as she watched the rest of the playback, seeing her past self get teary eyed when she picked up the bottle. Watching Priya and Bobby plotting together cast a new light on all her interactions with Priya. She thought that Priya was the most genuine one in the Villa with her, but it turned out to be quite the opposite. 

She found Priya in the crowd again, narrowing her eyes at her and shaking her head. While Bobby stuck the knife in her back, Priya was the one who twisted it. 

Rose turned her attention back to the screen.

_The video showed the sun setting on a white sand beach. The camera zoomed in to Bobby and Rose having their date on the floating platform._

_Bobby watched the sky change colors before him, cradling a drink in his hand._

_“Hey, Bobby?”_

_“Yes, lass?” He pulled his eyes away from the view and looked at her._

_She flushed. “I love you.”_

_He smiled and said it back._

“You said you loved me,” Rose said, hearing her voice crack.

Bobby rolled his eyes, but stayed silent. 

“Well? Don’t just stand there. Say something. Anything,” she pressed. 

Silence. 

Even the audience was stunned into silence, and it rang in Rose’s ears. 

She was so humiliated. She wanted to leave, to run away and go back to her old life, a life where she was in ignorant bliss. A life where she hadn’t found love and accepted that she never would. A life where she never found a single person who loved as wholly and as passionately as she did. A life where she’d never found her one true love, her soulmate. A life where she hadn't been lied to. 

Within minutes, the world around her folded onto itself as her rose-colored glasses shattered before her eyes, and she hated the sight.

The host broke the silence, explaining that they needed to get on with the show. She handed them their envelopes and explained the rules once more. 

Bobby and Rose stood across from each other, holding their respective envelopes. 

“Whenever you're ready,” the host said. 

They opened their envelopes. 

Rose’s was empty. She looked up at Bobby, who tried—unsuccessfully—to hide his smirk. Her heart beat incessantly against her chest, hammering faster with each passing moment. Dread bubbled in the pits of her stomach as panic settled in and she anticipated what would happen next. 

Her eyes met his. The tenderness that seemed to be permanently affixed in his hazel irises was gone, replaced by a maliciousness she never knew he had. “I’ll keep it,” he said, never taking his eyes off of hers. 

“What?” Despite the clear proof that Bobby wasn’t who she thought he was, she couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. 

“You heard me,” he said, more sternly. 

Her heart dropped. She felt the familiar sensation of her chest tightening and her breath quickening. She knew it was coming. She knew what he was going to say. She knew what he was going to do. But hearing it directly from him made it seem more real. 

“I-” She sharply inhaled. Maybe if she spent more time with him, she thought, he wouldn’t have cheated on her. Maybe if she was a better girlfriend, he wouldn’t have thought of taking the money. Maybe if she was good enough, he wouldn’t have betrayed her. Maybe. “You said you loved me,” she said, voice barely above a whisper.

“It’s just 8 letters, _lass_ ,” he spat. The word that once brought her butterflies in her stomach now twisted in her gut. “They don’t mean shit.”

“Was-” Her bottom lip quivered as more and more tears trickled down her face. “Was I not good enough?”

“I mean,” his eyes traveled up and down her body. “You were good,” he smirked, crossing his arms. “But that’s it.” He shrugged, “Nothing personal.”

Her cheeks heated up in rage. The _audacity_. “Nothing personal?!” She raised her voice. “You literally said that you loved me.”

“If you hadn’t noticed, I treated every girl the same,” he said, in a matter-of-fact tone. “You weren’t any different. I just slept in the same bed as you.” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” She sucked in some air. “I literally could’ve had anyone in the Villa, but I chose you every time. You. You, you fucking asshole.” She threw her hands in the air. “You were the first man I let into my life in _years_.” 

Bobby stood there, indifferent. 

“And the best part?” She scoffed. “I love you. I _actually_ love you, despite all this shit.” Her face was damp with tears, but she didn’t seem to notice, or care.

He put on a smug grin, still unfazed. “I guess I put on a good show for you, darling.” He took an exaggerated bow.

The sight of him made her gut clench as she balled her fists around the envelope. “You make me sick,” she whispered, prying her eyes away from him. 

“Well, now I’m fifty thousand pounds richer,” he shrugged. “I’d say it’s worth it.” 

Rose stood there, stunned, mouth slightly agape. Where was the man she fell in love with?

“That expression on your face, though, Rose?” He smirked, “Priceless.”


	2. Aftermath

Three words rang in her ears, but they weren’t the ones she expected.

_“I’ll keep it.”_

Rose rushed across the stage, not caring about the stupid show anymore. Why should she? The camera crew didn’t let her leave, though. They body-blocked her from getting anywhere near the exit. Concerned faces explained to her that she needed to stay to do the final interviews—as if she wanted to talk about the fucking lie she lived for eight weeks—before she was permitted to leave. 

She reluctantly forced herself to walk back, forcing one foot in front of the other, keeping her gaze locked on the ground as the staff directed her to the interview. Her eyes still burned from the steady stream of tears that flowed not moments ago. Her body felt so heavy. So tired. She couldn’t believe that she spent the whole summer loving someone who never cared about her.

She sat down on the couch and faced the host, who had plastered on a fake smile despite the situation. If you asked Rose what happened in the interview now, she couldn’t tell you. Why they forced her to stay, given the circumstances, was beyond her. 

Anything for the show, right? 

\---

Though Rose hated to admit it, it was a long, winding road to recovery. 

When she got to the hotel that night, she plopped onto the bed, drowning herself in tears and self pity. She felt as if her body tried to feel all of the emotions at once, so she shut down. Her whole world crumbled all around her in one night, and she let it. 

Dark turned to light, light turned back to dark, the sun and the moon continued their perpetual dance as she lay still on the hotel bed. 

Sometimes she'd stare at the ceiling. She'd lie awake wondering what she did wrong, what she could've done to make it better, what she did to make him hate her. Sometimes she'd tire herself out so much that she'd sleep through it all. The dark, dreamless sleep always welcomed her, but never left her feeling rested. The days blended into one another, but the numbing pain in her chest never seemed to leave. 

One day (or night, she wasn't sure), Rose woke up to Chelsea softly rubbing her back, whispering sweet nothings as she pried her eyes open. They stayed like that for a while. Rose almost forgot the sensation of another person's touch. 

Later, Chelsea guided her to the bathroom, where a strong, yet soothing lavender scent wafted from the bathtub. Her body moved on its own, slowly peeling off layers of clothing. When the warm water met her skin and the comforting smells filled her lungs, all of the pent-up tension slowly drained from her body. A delicate sigh escaped her mouth. A tingle of relief. 

\---

The days seemed slightly less bleak as they carried on like this. Chelsea would wake her up, guide her to the bath, and have breakfast warm and ready for her to eat. Rose didn't know how Chelsea managed to cook so well. The food was so comforting, it warmed her from the inside out. 

Rose didn't realize it then, but Chelsea would slowly introduce her to one new task. First, it was the bath, then it was eating regularly, then it was taking a stroll, and so on and so forth, until Rose started to do those things naturally and on her own again. 

Eventually—she couldn’t tell you when, even if she tried—she was able to feel somewhat normal. As in, she almost didn’t feel like her heart was ripped out of her chest. Almost. 

In retrospect, some days felt more okay than others. Some days she was so overcome with feelings that it dragged her whole body down. Some days it was like he had never even existed. 

And in a way, he hadn’t.

\---

**One year later.**

Rose pushed the door of the newly opened bakery, the motion ringing the little bell above it. She breathed in the strong scent of chocolate, freshly baked bread, and new beginnings. 

She got on the short queue as she scoured the menu and the display cases. Everything sounded delicious, and everything displayed looked even more so. Since so many treats appealed to her, she made plans to return as often as she could so she could try everything she wanted to.

With her order noted, she mindlessly checked her phone as the line inched its way forward. She absentmindedly walked to the register, not realizing she was already in the front of the line until her hip bumped into the counter. 

She grunted softly on impact and shot her head up as her cheeks flushed, hoping nobody saw her mishap. The cashier had his back turned, bagging some pastries, and the barista had their hands full. The other customers were too absorbed in their own worlds to even notice her. She sighed, relieved, returning her attention to her phone. 

“Can’t keep away for long, can ya?” a familiar voice asked.

Her head shot back up at the sound, meeting a pair of hazel eyes she hadn’t come across in a long, long time. 

Rose scrunched her face up at him in disgust, the familiar sickening feeling filling her stomach. “I’m just here to eat,” she said stiffly.

Bobby’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he smirked. “Sure. What can I get ya?”

“A large coffee and a coconut cream pie.” She felt her lip twitch as she gritted her teeth, hands involuntarily balling up into fists. 

He nodded and gave the barista the order, then he moved to one of the display cases. “A cream pie, huh?” He picked up one of the little pies and brought it to the counter, closing the case behind him. He placed the pie and the coffee cup on a tray. “This isn’t the first time I gave you one,” he winked.

She snatched the tray from him. “Fuck you, Bobby,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Darling, you already did.”

The complete and utter audacity he had, even a year later. Perhaps she dodged a bullet. Blood boiling, eyes all but afire, she glared at him, hoping that somehow, in some way, he'd feel some sort of remorse. But the mischievous glint in his eyes told her otherwise. Jaw clenching, she picked up the pie. 

“What are you doing? You’re holding up the line.”

“What I should’ve done a long time ago.” Within the blink of an eye, she shoved the pie directly in his face, cream wiping off whatever cocky expression he had on. “How does it feel to be pied off, asshole?” 

Bobby stood there seething, mouth agape, as he wiped off the thick cream from his eyes. “What the fuck, Rose?” More pieces of the pie fell to the ground.

“It’s nothing personal, _darling_ ,” she smirked, blew him a kiss, and strutted out.

So much for coming back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading!! i really appreciate it  
> i initially wrote the pie thing as a joke but then i realized that i might as well make it happen SDKJSKDJSKJKSD
> 
> also i'm sorry i take forever to answer comments 
> 
> thank you esme and emily for all the help!! couldn’t have done this without you. ily <3  
> and ofc shout out to da clan, ihlfy

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> thanks to esme and emily for helping me the whole time!! thanks to emily for some of the iconic dialogue!! and thanks to the cclan for the endless support!! love y'all!!
> 
> let me know what you think!! i'm @/thebobbyfish on tumblr drop me a line or somethin xx


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